Mayor John Whitmire and Houston City Council will debate dueling property tax proposals Wednesday as Whitmire remains adamant about cutting abuse while some council members plead with him to look at the city's financial reality.

In a surprising turn, Houston Mayor John Whitmire secured a $50 million grant from state leaders for disaster debris removal, preventing a proposed tax increase while addressing the city's pressing budget needs.

Houston's property taxes are not going up, after the state announced Wednesday that it would infuse $50 million in disaster relief funds to southeast Texas communities ravaged by the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl.